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Daily Archives: July 31, 2012

NEWPORT, R.I. — While it wasn’t the kind of prediction that would’ve generated headlines, Kyle Flood stood at the Big East media-day podium and delivered a bold statement.

“I said in my opening day press conference that the time is right for Rutgers to win championships,’’ Rutgers’ first-year coach said. “We understand how hard that is and that’s something we haven’t done at Rutgers. But we feel that we have the people in the program right now and the time is right not only to win bowl championships but Big East championships and BCS championships.’’

While the Scarlet Knights won’t head into the 2012 season as the prohibitive favorite to win the Big East – that distinction belongs to Louisville, which received 24 of 28 votes to top the conference’s preseason media poll – there’s a feeling of optimism not seen around Rutgers in recent seasons.

NEWPORT, R.I. — It was only a year ago that then-Big East Commissioner John Marinatto preached to a packed room of media that his conference “has never been stronger.”

The past 12 months have seen unprecedented upheaval, including the immediate defection of TCU and West Virginia (to the Big 12), the soon-to-be defections of Pittsburgh and Syracuse (to the ACC for 2013) and the pending arrival of Boise State, Central Florida, Houston, Memphis, SMU and San Diego State (for next season).

Not coincidentally, it’s also seen Marinatto’s forced resignation and a recently-announced, four-team playoff format that – for now – has the Big East on the outside looking in.

Even the most positive observers would say the conference’s future as a college football heavyweight is tenuous as it looks to find a new commissioner.

“It’s frustrating,’’ Big East Associate Commissioner Nick Carparelli Jr. said following a state-of-the-league address Tuesday at the league’s media day. “This is a transition year. We have two schools that won’t be here in the future and … we also have a bunch of great schools we can’t wait to be a part of us, but they’re not yet. We have to get through this year, as best we can, work on the future, and then in short time, we will start getting our
message out.’’

What that message will be only time will tell, but Carparelli believes the Big East will begin punching back in an effort to become a conference power again.

Here are some of the highlights from Rutgers coach Kyle Flood during Big East football media day on Tuesday morning:

On his excitement level over the start of training camp:

“This is an exciting time for anybody involved in a football program. Our players come in on Sunday and it’ll be great to have everybody back in the building again. On Monday we start practice, which for us as coaches is what we wait for. After spring ends, after the spring game you’re not allowed to do any football with them. Now we get to go full-speed again.”

On how he anticipates the QB battle going:

“I think it’s going to be a great battle. That’s exactly how I anticipate it. We have two players there that have won big games for us, and that’s going to create a great competition. Competition is great for everybody, and even with those other ‘or’ positions, we feel the same way. Whether it’s an offensive guard position, or a tailback position, or a defensive end position. The ‘or’s’ in my mind, they’re a positive.”

On timetable of his QB decision:

“I think in a perfect world, 10 days out I would like to make the decision. I would probably go as close as seven, but I’d rather not. Ten will give the starting quarterback a significant amount of reps that he would need for the first game and feel good.”

Any chance it could be decided before then if the separation is clear:

“I think so. I wouldn’t definitely be open to that. I don’t know if that would be before the sixth practice, which is going to be a half-scrimmage type of situation for us. I don’t know if it’ll be before that because the first five practices you’re installing new stuff every day. It would be hard for one of them to separate. But I’m certainly open to it happening earlier.”

NEWPORT, R.I. — Rutgers coach Kyle Flood used words like “tragic,” “devestating,” and “unfortunate” when announcing a season-ending injury to one of his players Tuesday morning at Big East football media day.

David Milewski only appeared in three games through his first two years at Rutgers, but the Sayreville War Memorial High School product was expected to be a significant contributor this fall after moving to defensive end from linebacker last spring.

It won’t happen now, as Milewski recently suffered a third Anterior Cruciate Ligament tear in his left knee, according to Flood.

“David Milewski, unfortunately, has suffered his third ACL injury, which is a tragic event in his life and we’re supporting him in every way that we can,” Flood said. “But we’re not going to see David on the field this year, which is unfortunate for us.”

A third ACL injury on the same knee obviously puts Milewski’s football career in doubt, but Flood declined to speculate on what the 6-foot-4, 245-pounder’s future holds.

“We’re still evaluating that,” Flood said. “He hasn’t had surgery yet. Until that happens, you really don’t know what the recovery process is going to be. It’s a devastating thing for our program and for David personally and unfortunate.

“But these things do happen, and David is as tough as they come. So if anybody can come back from something like this, it’ll be David.”

After arriving in 2010 fresh off a dominating senior campaign for Sayreville, Milewski worked his way to the defensive two-deep at middle linebacker before tearing his ACL four weeks into the season.

NEWPORT, R.I. — Rashad Knight, a sophomore safety who earned a spot on the two-deep coming out of spring camp, is not on Rutgers’ roster and is expected to transfer to a lower-level program.

Knight is the most notable player among a few roster moves announced by Rutgers today at Big East Media Day.

Sophomore linebacker Fred Overstreet is no longer on the roster and is expected to transfer to FCS-program Towson. Frank Quartucci, a junior offensive lineman who struggled to crack the two-deep in his first two seasons, will serve as a student assistant coach after injuries forced the end of his playing career.

Meanwhile, Rutgers coach Kyle Flood conceded that one member of his 20-player incoming class didn’t qualify academically, and though he declined to specify which one, it appears to be Delon Stephenson, a talented running back from Sayreville whose brother, Daryl, is a redshirt freshman defensive lineman. According to ScarletReport.com, Stephenson is expected to prep for a year at Fork Union Military Academy, with the anticipation being that he will end up at Rutgers once he becomes academically eligible.

NEWPORT, R.I. — The Rutgers football team was pegged third in the Big East Conference’s media poll on Tuesday morning, ranked behind first-place Louisville and the University of South Florida.

It marks the Scarlet Knights’ best preseason Big East poll ranking, tying the 2007 squad that was rated third coming off the landmark 11-2 campaign.

Armed with the return of 15 starters, including 2011 Big East co-Defensive Player of the Year Khaseem Greene, the Scarlet Knights will look to build on their 9-4 Pinstripe Bowl championship campaign from a year ago.

“I saw a great quote from the coach out at Boise State, and it was that preseason rankings and honors can be nice at times and they’re flattering, but at the end of the day they’re unearned,” Rutgers’ first-year coach Kyle Flood said. “Things that are unearned in life generally go away quickly. Whether you’re picked last or if you’re picked first, ultimately it’s going to be the ranking you earn at the end of the season that’s going to matter. That’s really the one that we’re working for.”

Louisville finished 7-6 last season, but won five of its last six regular-season games to finish 5-2 in Big East play and gain a share of the conference title with West Virginia and Cincinnati. The Cardinals, who welcome nine starters back from one of the nation’s premier defenses and an emerging star in Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback, gained 24 first-place votes in the 28-person poll.

South Florida, which returns 17 starters from a 5-7 squad that finished 1-6 in Big East play, received four first-place votes to finish second.

Following Rutgers, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Syracuse and Temple were pegged 4-through-8 in the preseason poll.

Prospects are able to sign letters of intent beginning Wednesday. Per a new rule last season, college football programs are able to accept National Letters of Intent (NLIs) during an early signing period for three days in December. These NLIs are a binding commitment between school and individual. In 2018, this period begins Wednesday December […]

The former Scarlet Knight rushed for over 100 yards for the third time in his past five games Gus Edwards has paved an unlikely path from undrafted free agent to making the practice squad to becoming the starting running back for the Baltimore Ravens, all since this past April. After having a productive final season […]